Property Tax in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
The median real estate tax bill in Plymouth County, Massachusetts is $6,345 per year, and the median home is worth $513,000. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Plymouth County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $6,345 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Plymouth County, and $513,000 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Plymouth County is 1.24% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Plymouth County
| Measure | Plymouth County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $6,345 |
| Median home value | $513,000 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.24% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $529 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,237 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,948 |
For context, the Massachusetts medians are $5,813 of tax on $525,800 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Plymouth County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Massachusetts: #3 of 14 counties
- Median home value rank in Massachusetts: #8 of 14
- Population rank in Massachusetts: #7 of 14 (531,889 residents)
- Population density rank: #6 of 14 (808 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Massachusetts: #5 of 14 (658 sq mi, 8.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $529; per $1,000 of home value: $1.24
How Plymouth County compares
Set against its state, Plymouth County's median bill of $6,345 is about 9% higher than the Massachusetts median ($5,813). Against the country as a whole it is about 114% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #3 of 14 Massachusetts counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Plymouth County's median home, at $513,000, ranks #8 by value in Massachusetts, while its derived rate of 1.24% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Plymouth County: the median bill works out to about $529 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,237 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 531,889 people — the #7 most populous county in Massachusetts, spread over 658 square miles, a density of about 808 people per square mile. Its median home value, $513,000, ranks #8 among the state's 14 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 66 record a higher median tax bill than Plymouth County — it sits in the top 2% nationally. The county holds roughly 7.6% of Massachusetts's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $513,000 versus $525,800), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.24% adds up to about 12.37% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Nantucket County, medians $2,985 — $3,360 less than Plymouth County per year.
Counties nearest Plymouth County in the Massachusetts ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | $7,240 | $687,200 | 1.05% |
| Norfolk County, MA | $7,081 | $649,400 | 1.09% |
| Essex County, MA | $6,267 | $584,000 | 1.07% |
| Dukes County, MA | $5,503 | $1,104,100 | 0.50% |
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.24%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,237 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $4,948. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Plymouth County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Plymouth County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
The median real estate tax paid in Plymouth County, Massachusetts is $6,345 per year, on a median home value of $513,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
The derived effective rate is 1.24% — the median bill ($6,345) expressed as a share of the median home value ($513,000). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Plymouth County compare with the rest of Massachusetts?
Plymouth County ranks #3 of 14 Massachusetts counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $6,345 is about 9% higher than the Massachusetts median of $5,813.
How are property taxes calculated in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Plymouth County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $6,345 on a median home value of $513,000.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Plymouth County, Massachusetts?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Plymouth County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.